Interaction is a fundamental activity in human life. Every day, people engage with each other within certain boundaries to fulfill their various needs. Through interaction, individuals integrate into society, becoming independent members of the community. The growth, development, and achievements of every individual are inseparable from social interaction. Therefore, interaction acts as the “green card” for being human, and the ability to interact is the most fundamental skill for individuals in society. However, the different physical and mental disabilities of special children severely restrict their ability to engage in social activities. Compared to typical children, they exhibit significant gaps in their social skills, leading them to frequently encounter difficulties and setbacks in daily activities. The aim of special education is to ensure that every learner achieves full development within their capabilities, possesses appropriate social adaptation skills, and can adapt to family and societal life to varying degrees. One effective means of achieving this goal is by cultivating and developing the social interaction activities and skills of special students.
In 2024, there are many methods and approaches to cultivating social interaction skills in special children, with games being one of the most effective.
I. The Crucial Role of Games in Cultivating Social Interaction Skills for Special Children
Games are the basic activities of children, reflecting their surrounding social activities through imitation and imagination at their developmental level. Game activities themselves serve as an important stage for children to learn social interaction. Many aspects related to interaction can be taught to children through game-based methods, significantly promoting the development of their social interaction skills.
Firstly, a key feature of games is their entertaining nature. This aligns with children’s emotional and volitional characteristics, serving as a direct motivation for their participation. This is true for all children. Using games as a significant method for cultivating social interaction skills in special children can easily increase the interest in learning, stimulate their learning motivation, and foster a positive learning attitude.
Secondly, social interaction skills are a manifestation of comprehensive abilities, closely related to the individual’s cognitive, linguistic, emotional, personality, and self-awareness development levels, as well as their experience, knowledge, and learning levels. Games are closely linked to the development of these abilities in children. Therefore, games not only enhance the fun of interaction training but also directly promote the development of various social interaction skills in children. For example:
Language Skills
Language is the most basic means of information transmission and a crucial component of interaction. Deaf and intellectually disabled children often face incomplete communication methods, mainly manifested in low levels of language comprehension and expression. As receivers of information, they struggle to understand others’ speech quickly and accurately; as transmitters of information, they find it challenging to formulate thoughts and express themselves appropriately. Additionally, they encounter a series of other language barriers. The primary step in cultivating interaction skills for these children is through speech correction training. Game-based methods have long been recognized as important principles in language training because:
In games, language, as the essence of precise motor activity, is concealed and directly manifested as children’s play, becoming their autonomous real activity. Using games for language training can easily meet children’s desires, allowing them to demonstrate their linguistic potential and utilize the basic functions of language. In this scenario, it is easy to spark and sustain children’s strong interest and stable attention in language training.
The language forms used in games are simple and closely linked to children’s emotions. Children find it easiest to express themselves, with rich expressions and natural tones. Especially in group games, children are enthusiastic and uninhibited, making it easier for them to spontaneously engage in verbal expression and attentively listen to others. Therefore, games not only facilitate children in acquiring new language skills and reinforcing old ones but also facilitate the transfer of these skills.
Game methods facilitate cooperation between teachers and children, which is a fundamental condition for the success of language training. During language games, children feel relaxed and enjoy themselves, effortlessly participating and accepting the teacher’s intentions, cooperating with the teacher’s work, and actively engaging in exercises. As a result, they are less likely to exhibit resistance emotions and behaviors such as refusal, anger, resentment, withdrawal, or grievances.
Incorporating the required language skills into games for training makes it easier for children to understand their requirements and meanings, transforming mechanical repetition into conscious practice. In games, children need to learn to follow instructions and obey commands, thereby striving to understand the connections between words and concepts. Moreover, due to the diverse and enjoyable nature of games, children often cannot help but share their gaming experiences. This not only develops children’s language comprehension abilities but also optimizes their language expression capabilities.
Social Skills and Emotions
Social education in schools mainly aims to promote the development of children’s emotional and social skills. Social skills refer to an individual’s ability to independently act in accordance with socially recognized standards in interpersonal relationships, social gatherings, and other obligations. Social skills require individuals to correctly understand and respond to social demands. This means that to be an accepted member of modern society, individuals should possess various social skills, such as personal personality, emotional self-awareness, interpersonal relationships, etc. These are all integral components of interaction skills. Games play a significant role in the development of children in these areas.
In terms of sociability, games help develop children’s skills in participating in group activities and sharing with others. Especially in collective games, fostering children’s willingness and abilities to follow guidance, abide by discipline, accept rules, and learn to get along with others is highly beneficial. At the same time, games provide children with an outlet to channel their energies in socially acceptable ways.
In terms of emotions, games help fulfill the basic emotional needs of special children (such as the need for security, acceptance, and self-realization). In games, children interact, influence, and cooperate with each other, contributing jointly to the game activity. As a result, they can develop emotionally in terms of insight, stability, and intensity, feeling more comfortable, safe, and free, often being in a good emotional state. Games also serve as a natural medium for children’s self-expression, allowing them to release inner emotions such as frustration, anxiety, tension, unease, fear, and confusion. Through such emotional self-expression, children can open up their emotional world, learn to regulate and manage their emotions.
Physiologically, games provide special children with the opportunity to learn basic movement patterns, develop motor skills, strength, endurance, and promote cardiovascular function. This helps correct their physiological barriers, enhance their physical fitness, and ensure overall physiological health. Games also develop hand-eye coordination and other motor perception skills.
Cognitively, games promote not only the general cognitive development of special children
